Folding chicken-coop.



uni srrns narnia nino.

ULYSSES Gr. MIGNERY, OF JULIAN, NEBRASKA..

FOLDING CHICKEN-COOP.

To all w/wm i may concern.'

Be it known that I, Unrssns G. MIGNERY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Julian, in the county of Nemaha and State of Nebraska, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Folding Chicken-(loops, of whichthe following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to folding chicken coops and has for an object toprovide a structure of this character which can be readily set up orknocked down as the occasion may demand.

Another object of the invention is to provide gravitating latches forpositively holding the crate against being accidentally knocked downwhile in shipment.

ln the drawing forming a portion of this application and in which likeletters of reference indicate similar parts in the several viewsz-*Figure 1 is a plan view of the crate showing the same in a flatposition. Fig. 2 is an end view showing the crate folded. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the crate. Fig. 4 is a section through a portion ofthe crate.

rlhe crate herein sho-wn comprises a bottom 1, side walls 2, end walls 3and a top 4, the latter being constructed preferably of sections 5 and 6which are adapted to be folded on each other through the provision ofthe eXteriorly located hinges 7 which connect the said sections 5 and 6together. The section 5 is connected to one of the side walls 2 by theinteriorly located hinges S. Both of the sections 2 are connected to thebottom 1 by the interiorly located hinges 9. The end walls 3 areconnected to one of the side walls 2 by the eXteriorly located hinges10. The opposite side wall 2 is provided with gravitating latches 11which are adapted to engage the end walls 3 so as to hold them closedand to prevent t-he crate against collapsing while in shipment. Theselatches are pivoted at their upper outer corners to the side wall 2 asshown at 12 whereby under the weight of the latches they tend to movetoward the said end walls 3. The said latches are provided with fiatupper edges 13 which come flush with the upper edges of the wall 2 sothat when the closure 4 is in a closed position it will engage againstthe said fiat edges 13 of the latches so as to hold them against pivotalmovement. The walls 3 are provided with keeper plates 14 with which thetongues or hooks 15 of the latches 11 engage as shown in Fig. 4

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 16, 1912.

Vintegral Patented July, 1913. Serial No. 684,281.

of the drawing. The said hooks are formed with the outermostlongitudinal edges of the latches 11 ata point medially of their lengthand extend laterally and upwardly therefrom and are designed to be lo-Vcated in the apertures 12 of the end walls 3 of the crate, therebypreventing the same from becoming accidentally displaced when the crateis used for shipping purposes and the like. When the coop is in a set upposition the upper edges of the end walls 3 come beneath the closure soas to prevent the sections 5 and 6 of the closure from collapsingdownwardly or breaking at their joint.

The section 6 of the closure 4 is provided with a hand opening 16 whichis closed by a suitable cover plate 17. Hasp locks are employed for thepurpose of holding the closure 4 in a closed position, and asillustrated these hasps have straps 18 which are adapted to receive thestaples 19 which eX- tend from one of the walls 2. These staples, whenthe said straps 18 are operatively connected therewith may receive suchlocking devices as the keys 20.

From the construction of the device described it is evident that forreturn shipment the walls 2 may be folded down against the bottom 1 andthe walls 3 folded against one of the end walls 2, after which thesections 5 and 6 of the closure 4 can be folded on each other. In thismanner the crate is arranged in a compact manner where it will take upvery little Hoor space in shipment. It is obviously understood that thecrate may be constructed of any suitable well known material, and it maybe slatted7 foraminous or of similar open construction to provide for aperfect ventilation.

I claim A crate including a bottom, foldable side walls and aperturedend walls, a keeper plate secured to the inner face of each of said endwalls over said apertures, latches pivotally secured at the oppositeouter corners and on the inner face of one of said side walls and havinghooks, said hooks being formed integral with and projecting laterallyand upwardly from the outermost longitudinal edges of said latches anddisposed beyond the terminal ends of the latter mentioned side wall whenthe latches are in active position, each of said latches being formedwith an upper flat edge disposed flush with the upper longitudinal edgeof the latter mentioned side Walls, a closure eartally displaced, andmeans for holding the ried by the crate and adapted t0 engage theClosure in closed position. 10 flat upper edges of the latches to holdthe In testimony whereof I aixmy signature same against pivotal movementand in posiin presence of two Witnesses.

tive looking engagement with the keepers, ULYSSES G. MIGNERY. disposingsaid hooks Within the apertures Witnesses:

of the end Walls of the crate thereby pre- T. L. YOUNG,

Venting the same from becoming aeeiden- L. W. SAGE,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissionei' of Patents, Washington, '.D. C.

